(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to apparatus for animating a movable element of a figurine and specifically relates an eye mechanism for mounting in an animated figurine to enable an eyeball replica with a pupil thereon to appear to blink.
(2) Description of Related Art
Animated figurines are well known in the art and include animal forms as well as human forms. These figurines walk, roll over, dance, talk, move their arms and provide various other animated features. It is extremely difficult and expensive to provide the necessary mechanical and electromechanical devices and configurations which enable the animation of the figurine.
Movement of the eye is a particularly difficult procedure. In simple doll mechanisms, a weight is pendulously attached to a pivoting eyeball replica such that when the doll is in the upright position, the eyes appear to be open and, when the doll is placed on its back, the weight pivots downwardly thus closing the eye.
In newer versions of animated figures, the figure may speak, if a person, or bark, if a dog, or make other sounds. When the electrical signals for causing the voice and/or movements of the eye, mouth, arms and legs are generated from a data storage device such as a magnetic tape, the eyes, mouth, arms and legs may be caused to be moved in coordination by the signals stored on the tape such as disclosed in commonly assigned copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/943,766 filed Sep. 11, 1992 and entitled TALKING FIGURE WITH ANIMATED FEATURES. In that case, pulses are stored on a magnetic tape that coordinate with the speech sounds digitally recorded on the tape. When the tape is activated, the sounds on the tape are coupled to a circuit and speaker for producing the sounds. Pulses recorded on the tape are coupled to a circuit that decodes the pulses and provides a signal to a solenoid for movement of the eyes, arms, legs, mouth or tail, if an animal is involved. In order to keep the costs within reasonable limits for such a device, it is necessary that an electromechanical arrangement be devised to move the element in question is a simple, efficient and economical manner.